1. Use a formal greeting until told to do otherwise. Write, “Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. even if you feel like you know your interviewer by now, afford him/her the courtesy of using the proper greeting. Usually he/she will respond by saying, “Please call me (insert first name)!”.

2. Reference something specific about the person you’re writing to. (Example: if you both share the same love for the Knicks or possibly went to the same college, nows a good time to find the solidarity).

3. Do not ask for a job or internship in your early correspondence. The only reason you should be writing now is to express your appreciation for someone’s time. Right now, your goal is to start building a relationship. (ALSO… don’t be offended if you don’t hear back right away. They get hundreds of emails a day. Your job is to reach out to them. When they can, they’ll reach back out to you. That may be annoying or seem rude, but they’re all doing the best they can to handle the daily grind.)

a. Additional tip - Use the subject line to make things more personal – A personalized subject line has a better chance of getting read.

4. Proofread your note before you hit, “Send.” If you don’t have great editing skills, ask someone else to read your note for you! Use professional language and grammar. Don’t use “text-speak” in an professional email.

a. Additional tip: Don’t enter the address info in the “to” line until you are 100% ready to send your note. That way, you won’t hit “send” on correspondence that isn’t ready to go.